Mississippi Damned is one of the most honest films I have ever seen. It is "fiction," but, as Mabry declared to us after the screening, "95% is true." It's almost unimaginable how so much could be true. I think that is part of what makes it such an incredible film.

The movie begins with Mabry's family and friends in the '80s in a rural Mississippi. We follow them into the 90s during which we see all of the enormous hardships that these families face amidst their lives of poverty. This is Mabry's story, her personal account of everything that happened in her life, following interpretations back to when she was just a little girl.

It was a great pleasure being able to listen to Mabry talk after the screening and...

Mississippi Damned is one of the most honest films I have ever seen. It is "fiction," but, as Mabry declared to us after the screening, "95% is true." It's almost unimaginable how so much could be true. I think that is part of what makes it such an incredible film.

The movie begins with Mabry's family and friends in the '80s in a rural Mississippi. We follow them into the 90s during which we see all of the enormous hardships that these families face amidst their lives of poverty. This is Mabry's story, her personal account of everything that happened in her life, following interpretations back to when she was just a little girl.

It was a great pleasure being able to listen to Mabry talk after the screening and...

A big thanks to Lindsay Harrop for the Live Blog of the "How to Get Your Break" panel! And of course to Karin Chien, Tina Mabry, Rodrigo Bellott and Rodrigo Brandao for a very down-to-earth, fun and informational panel. While I highly suggest reading Lindsay's blog if you have the time, for those of you in a hurry, here's a more pithy version of the advice these professionals had to give.

1. It takes determination, focus and self-motivation to move up in the industry. Even if you’re working for free printing scripts and getting coffee, don’t take the easy way out.

2. Don’t ASK for favors, MAKE favors. In other words, make people owe you favors.

3. Going into the television industry we are told NETWORK. NETWORK. NETWORK. But this does not mean waving your business card in everyone’s face. It is about making genuine connections.

A big thanks to Lindsay Harrop for the Live Blog of the "How to Get Your Break" panel! And of course to Karin Chien, Tina Mabry, Rodrigo Bellott and Rodrigo Brandao for a very down-to-earth, fun and informational panel. While I highly suggest reading Lindsay's blog if you have the time, for those of you in a hurry, here's a more pithy version of the advice these professionals had to give.

1. It takes determination, focus and self-motivation to move up in the industry. Even if you’re working for free printing scripts and getting coffee, don’t take the easy way out.

2. Don’t ASK for favors, MAKE favors. In other words, make people owe you favors.

3. Going into the television industry we are told NETWORK. NETWORK. NETWORK. But this does not mean waving your business card in everyone’s face. It is about making genuine connections.

The second part of my live blogging from the How to Get Your Break Panel in Williams 225:

SG: How do you get agents? How do you get someone to read your script? TM: I'm still trying to figure that out. As a writer, what I do to get people to read my stuff is I've gone ahead and done a lot of free-lance jobs for directors and now I'm starting to turn toward television and trying to get some pilots picked up. You have to be patient and find your own way. This is waiting game too. And from the writer's perspective, I do my best to get my work out to a small group of people. I want honest feedback, even though we're really shy introverted people. I want to tell a good story. RBr: I think it's important to remember to find your own voice and that there are a ton of production companies out there and hundreds of models of people who have fantastic, rewarding companies without the kind of adulation that people get stuck in reflecting on. It can also be about integrity, loyalty to your artistic vision and the people you work with....

The second part of my live blogging from the How to Get Your Break Panel in Williams 225:

SG: How do you get agents? How do you get someone to read your script? TM: I'm still trying to figure that out. As a writer, what I do to get people to read my stuff is I've gone ahead and done a lot of free-lance jobs for directors and now I'm starting to turn toward television and trying to get some pilots picked up. You have to be patient and find your own way. This is waiting game too. And from the writer's perspective, I do my best to get my work out to a small group of people. I want honest feedback, even though we're really shy introverted people. I want to tell a good story. RBr: I think it's important to remember to find your own voice and that there are a ton of production companies out there and hundreds of models of people who have fantastic, rewarding companies without the kind of adulation that people get stuck in reflecting on. It can also be about integrity, loyalty to your artistic vision and the people you work with....

Here we are in Williams 225 with the "How to Get Your Break" Panel. Moderated by IC's Steve Gordon, we have Rodrigo Bellott (casting director of Even the Rain), Rodrigo Brandao (Kino Lorber), Karin Chien (founder and president of dGenerate Films) and Tina Mabry (writer/director of Mississippi Damned). Here's a snapshot of the great discussion we have going here:

SG: How'd you get your start? KC: Working for free on a film. I come from a very traditional Asian-American family. I didn't know anyone in film or music and I moved to NY to get into independent film. There's a listing (a tech list) put out by the Mayor's Office that lists every production in New York. I sent out my resume every day for a month and the first person who hired me, I worked my way up from taking the trash. TM: I didn't have any film background till I went to USC. My last semester I saw "Boys Don't Cry" and it changed my life so instead of going to law school and wracking up debt I decided to do what I love and wrack up debt and applied...

Here we are in Williams 225 with the "How to Get Your Break" Panel. Moderated by IC's Steve Gordon, we have Rodrigo Bellott (casting director of Even the Rain), Rodrigo Brandao (Kino Lorber), Karin Chien (founder and president of dGenerate Films) and Tina Mabry (writer/director of Mississippi Damned). Here's a snapshot of the great discussion we have going here:

SG: How'd you get your start? KC: Working for free on a film. I come from a very traditional Asian-American family. I didn't know anyone in film or music and I moved to NY to get into independent film. There's a listing (a tech list) put out by the Mayor's Office that lists every production in New York. I sent out my resume every day for a month and the first person who hired me, I worked my way up from taking the trash. TM: I didn't have any film background till I went to USC. My last semester I saw "Boys Don't Cry" and it changed my life so instead of going to law school and wracking up debt I decided to do what I love and wrack up debt and applied...

Blog was written by Kelsey Greene, Documentary Studies and Production, '13, FLEFF intern, Buffalo, New York

On Friday, April 15, a panel will be held at 4 p.m. in Williams 225 called How to Get Your Break. This event is one everyone, I repeat everyone should try and make. Leading media artists, Rodrigo Brandao, Rodrigo Bellott, Tina Marbry, and Karin Chien will be present to discuss insightful information and tips on what one should do to well, "get their break" in the media industry. Ithaca College professor Steve Gordon will be moderating the panel. The event is free and will be time well spent! Mark your calendars and don't miss it!

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Blog was written by Kelsey Greene, Documentary Studies and Production, '13, FLEFF intern, Buffalo, New York

On Friday, April 15, a panel will be held at 4 p.m. in Williams 225 called How to Get Your Break. This event is one everyone, I repeat everyone should try and make. Leading media artists, Rodrigo Brandao, Rodrigo Bellott, Tina Marbry, and Karin Chien will be present to discuss insightful information and tips on what one should do to well, "get their break" in the media industry. Ithaca College professor Steve Gordon will be moderating the panel. The event is free and will be time well spent! Mark your calendars and don't miss it!

We all know that the film business is a cutthroat, rapid-fire industry. As a film student, I'm always dwelling on the question of, "How am I actually going to break into the film industry?" Lucky for me and everyone else asking this question (and I know you all are), one of the on-campus events for FLEFF is a panel on that very subject!

We all know that the film business is a cutthroat, rapid-fire industry. As a film student, I'm always dwelling on the question of, "How am I actually going to break into the film industry?" Lucky for me and everyone else asking this question (and I know you all are), one of the on-campus events for FLEFF is a panel on that very subject!